“He’s not interested?”
“Abraham?” Alex raised her eyebrows. “I suppose there’s no reason you’d know. He has—?had—?a lover, who was taken away by the Church. A boy named Peter. Abraham talks about going to find him someday.”
“Ah,” Winter said. Is that the Tyrant’s Disease, too? She wondered if they ought to compare notes, but was certain she’d never be able to bring it up. “Well, the Haeta seem to respect that we have different ideas about that sort of thing. I don’t think you’ll have difficulty.”
“We’ll find out.” Alex clambered to her feet. “Good night, then.”
“I’ll be in soon.”
Alex wandered off, leaving Winter alone, staring into the slowly fading fire. It popped and crackled, and in the darkness beyond the camp the forest was alive with rustles and soft animal noises. Somewhere, an owl hooted. There were sentries out there, too, but the Haeta had a way of disappearing into the woods when they kept watch, quiet as any nighttime hunter.
“Southerner.”
Winter nearly jumped at the sound of the voice. She looked up to find Vess crouching beside her, hands held flat to the fire, warming herself on the last embers.
“Yes?” Winter said, feeling uncertain. Vess had been the only one who’d voiced a worry about the nature of Alex’s powers. On the other hand, since the ambush, she’d been a little warmer, if not actually friendly. Her face was set in a perpetual scowl, but it was less often aimed in Winter’s direction.
“Leti spoke with you this evening,” Vess said. “She invited you to spend the night with her.”
“She did,” Winter said carefully.
“I do not know you, Winter Ihernglass.” This time the scowl was very definitely directed at Winter. “My sister may be wet for you, but do not think you have earned my trust.”
“Your sister’s virtue is safe, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Vess snorted. “If she ever had such a thing, she discarded it ages ago, and happily. It is her heart that concerns me.”
“Her heart?”
“Leti is... a good person. Better than I am. She strives to see the best in others, and reflecting her, they become better in her presence. It is why she was chosen to lead us, and why she will lead the tribe one day.” Vess pressed her lips together. “But it makes her vulnerable, you understand? To betrayal. She looks up to you, and if you disappoint her it will hurt her badly.”
Winter stared into the fire, suddenly uncomfortable. “I never asked her to.” I never asked any of them to.
“In the crisis, when she froze, you acted. That night, after she cried in my arms, she talked about you. She sees you as... who she would like to be.” Vess cocked her head. “You are not just a soldier, I think. You are a leader.”
“I am,” Winter admitted. “Or I was.”
“Then you understand.”
All too well. It was easy to put herself in Leti’s place, in command of an expedition that had turned into a disaster, with all the people who once might have joked with her instead looking at her with that terrible need. The hunger for someone who knew what to do, who would make things better. Bobby’s face—?from back in Khandar, before war and pain had aged her—?floated through Winter’s mind, bringing a stab of guilt. The way she looked at me...
There was a long silence. The fire popped, settling.
“I’m not sure what you want me to do,” Winter said. “If you want to try to convince her she’s wrong, you’re welcome to.”
“It’s too late for that now,” Vess said with a sigh. “You must live up to her expectations instead. Be the woman she wants you to be, Winter, or you will answer to me.”
“I’ll try.” I always try so hard. It felt like a hundred ghosts mocked her as she said the words. And behind them all, Jane. Not a ghost but something worse. The heart of a monster.
Vess’ eyes narrowed. “I believe you will.”
Winter wanted to ask what she meant, but Vess suddenly looked up. A moment later Winter heard it, too, the sound of running feet. One of the Haeta, an older girl named Qwor, burst into the light, spear in hand.
“Red-?eyes,” she gasped out, and then more in her own language that Winter couldn’t follow. Vess shot up.
“What’s happening?” Winter said.
“Gina is missing,” Vess snapped. “Qwor saw red lights on the hillside. They have found us.”
More sentries reached the camp, shouting, and the Haeta began to emerge from their tents. Many of them were half-?clothed or wearing nothing at all, but they picked up their spears regardless, strapping the quivers of spares across bare skin. Alex crawled out of her tent, with Abraham following.
Leti was nowhere in sight, and everyone was looking at Winter.
Saints and fucking martyrs. She could feel Vess’ stare on her back.
“Torches!” she shouted. “Get some light on the perimeter. Set them and then back off. They may have muskets—”
*
Leti emerged from her tent a few minutes later, still fighting her way into her furs, but it changed little. Instead of coming to Winter for orders, the Haeta looked to Leti, and Leti looked to Winter. Their little band hunkered down and braced for the onslaught of red-?eyed slaves of the Beast.
It never came. Once, Winter caught sight of a pair of crimson lights, shining in the darkness, but that was all. Minutes passed and then hours. She organized shifts, kept half the Haeta ready while the others got dressed and packed their tents. By dawn they were shivering and exhausted, but there was no option except to push on.
There was no sign of Gina, the girl who’d vanished. A band of Haeta found where at least two men had caught her, but they’d carried her deeper into the forest, with no sign of whether she was alive or dead. Leti wanted to go after her, and Winter had to take her aside.
“Gina’s gone,” she said, swallowing hard. Live up to her standards. But what does that mean? “Worse than gone. She’s one of them now.”
“One of them?” Leti’s eyes widened. “The red-?eyes?”
Winter nodded. “They are... a kind of demon. You know that. If they catch you and stare into your eyes, they can transform you into a demon, too. The same body, but the mind is gone.”
“That’s...” Leti looked like she wanted to be sick.
“I know.” Winter hesitated, then added, “They are a plague. I can’t say too much, but my companions and I are trying to stop them. We must reach the mouth of the Bataria.”